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From E-Online
http://www.eonline.com/gossip/planetgos ... 89932f34ab

Is Alicia Keys' career about to go South? It will if she has anything to say about it.

I'm told that the multi-Grammy winner is on a campaign to land the lead role in Disney's upcoming animated musical, The Frog Princess, set in the South.

How interested is she? So much so that after Keys auditioned, she actually called Disney's studio chief, Dick Cook, directly to let him know how much she wanted the gig, according to a well-placed source. "She did it all herself," the source says. "She got one of his personal numbers and just called him up."

Keys is one of many hopefuls being considered to voice Mandy, a young southern girl living in New Orleans during the roaring '20s Jazz Age. "One of the big questions is if Alicia can do a Southern accent, because she has such that New York voice," my source says.

Keys' movie career is off to a pretty good start. Right now, she's in theaters opposite Ben Affleck and Jeremy Piven in Smokin' Aces, and in April, she has The Nanny Diaries with Scarlett Johansson.

Not only could Frog be a major boost for Keys, it's also history-making because Mandy is, as she's been described, "the first black Disney princess."

Keys has gotten a callback for a second audition, my source says.

Other top contenders, I'm told, include Oscar-nominee Jennifer Hudson and her Dreamgirls costar and Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose.

Frog's composer is music maestro Randy Newman, who is up for a Grammy and an Oscar this year for the song "Our Town," from the animated blockbuster Cars.

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Thanks for the news, Tk2. That's pretty interesting. I'm not particularly a big fan of Alicia Keys, but she has a good voice. Not your typical Disney princess singing style, though. Although this film doesn't look like your typical Disney princess movie. From what I've heard, I think Jennifer Hudson would be a better choice based purely on her voice. I would rather have a black Disney princess who sings like Jennifer Hudson than Alicia Keys, but I wouldn't mind either or. I've never heard the 3rd girl sing because I haven't seen Dreamgirls yet.

I'd love Anika Noni Rose to be her voice. In Dreamgirls she wasn't able to show all her talent, but hey! she's a Tony Award winner!! And IMO her voice would be perfect for a Disney Princess. It's powerful, but has a sweet tone to it.

And I really like the logo. A realy fairy-tale logo.

I'm worried that Alicia Keys will go the way of Ashanti in <i>The Muppets' Wizard of Oz</i>. I'm so excited over the prospect of Jennifer Hudson being cast -- clearly the better singer and better-suited for a musical-style film.

-Aaron

This will sound funny since she was already Cinderella. But, Brandy actually has a very sweet speaking voice, and lovely singing voice. I think she would be perfect for the role of Maddy.

Or Cree Summer, she is sooo talented. But would people complain, since she already played Princess Kida?

Oscar-nominee Jennifer Hudson

Shouldn't that be Oscar-WINNER Jennifer Hudson?

my chicken is infected wrote:

Oscar-nominee Jennifer Hudson

Shouldn't that be Oscar-WINNER Jennifer Hudson?

I guess the guys at E-online have a lot to catch up with!

I don't think either Alicia Keys or Jennifer Hudson are good choices. I like my princesses to have sweet voices like Ariel does. Not a deep womanly voice. They need someone a bit sweeter.

GIANTfraggle wrote:I don't think either Alicia Keys or Jennifer Hudson are good choices. I like my princesses to have sweet voices like Ariel does. Not a deep womanly voice. They need someone a bit sweeter.

Megara has a deep voice yet she is beautiful, sweet and stands out from all the others. I think it would be great if Maddy had a deep voice, like Alicia Keys.

I'd rather they pick someone who's almost entirely unknown to voice a Disney princess (or character in general). I don't like having famous names tacked onto a Disney movie personally.

I'm just hoping that these actresses do a good job with voicing the characters. Otherwise, they could've picked better actresses.

Disney's Divinity wrote:I'd rather they pick someone who's almost entirely unknown to voice a Disney princess (or character in general). I don't like having famous names tacked onto a Disney movie personally.

I agree 100%

Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited for this movie and I'm all for having a black Disney princess. BUT, I just don't want the fact that the princess is black to play a huge part in the storyline, if you get my drift. I want it to be a movie that is made for everybody to enjoy and not only aimed towards a black audience.

Hooray, both Alicia Keys or Jennifer Hudson would be great choices.

Yeah Im excited about it having a black Princess...but I hope the story isnt about her being a black person. It should just be like all of the other Disney movies, where race isnt even an issue and is just another story like the other ones and she just so happens to be a black woman.

I hope the lady that started the "DISNEY ITS TIME FOR A BLACK PRINCESS" thread knows about this upcoming movie.

jeremy88 wrote:Hooray, both Alicia Keys or Jennifer Hudson would be great choices.

Yeah Im excited about it having a black Princess...but I hope the story isnt about her being a black person. It should just be like all of the other Disney movies, where race isnt even an issue and is just another story like the other ones and she just so happens to be a black woman.

I hope the lady that started the "DISNEY ITS TIME FOR A BLACK PRINCESS" thread knows about this upcoming movie.

See, I hope the fact that the princess is black is important. I don't want the film to revolve around the fact that she is black completely, but I think it should be tied in well. I think it is awesome that Disney is finally having a black princes, but think about it, what is the point of having a black princess today that could have just as easily been white? That would be dumb, they should use the black princess to explore black culture and provide a better "understanding" of different cultures. Just as I feel Mulan did a good job of exploring Chinese culture, I would like to see "The Frog Princess" do the same.

Disney's Divinity wrote:I'd rather they pick someone who's almost entirely unknown to voice a Disney princess (or character in general). I don't like having famous names tacked onto a Disney movie personally.

I agree.... That sounds more on the line of the classic 80-90s Disney films. Unlike now, they're overloaded with celebrities. On a random note.... I want Deborah Cox for the voice!